An e-mail making the rounds among Colorado Republicans today chides First Lady Michelle Obama about the “unprecedented” size of her staff but it’s pure urban folklore.

The bogus report claims Obama has 22 people on her staff, but Laura Bush, Barbara Bush and scores of other first ladies had only one staffer.

Who really believes in this day and age the nation’s first lady has only one staffer?

They don’t. Check out Snopes.com, which bills itself the “definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors and misinformation.” First Lady Laura Bush had between 24 and 26 staffers, according to her own top aide, Snopes and the Associated Press report.

Rep. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, was among those who received the e-mail and forwarded it today.

Plenty of us have been burned by urban folklore, myself included, so Larry, a warning: The $250 Mrs. Fields cookie recipe e-mail is a hoax, too.

SMOKE GETS IN THEIR AYES: The Greeley City Council rejected a plan to increase cigarette taxes on the local level. Greeley Tribune.

FIRST LADY WOWS ASPEN CROWD: First lady Michelle Obama kicked off her shoes to hobnob with well-heeled supporters in Aspen on Tuesday as part of her husband’s re-election campaign. Aspen Times.

MEANWHILE IN DENVER: The chairman of the RNC says “Colorado will be one of my second homes,” in order to build up “the resources and relationships in order to defeat the president.” The Spot.

MEANWHILE IN LONGMONT: An Obama photo with a Hitler mustache that led to a clash of “political wills” at a busy Post Office ended in a draw but both sides made their points after a brief disturbance. Longmont Times-Call.

BAN ON POT BAN FAILS: A petition to end Longmont’s ban on medical marijuana businesses fell well short on Tuesday, meaning there will be no referendum this November. Longmont Times-Call.

GOVERNOR TRIES TO SOOTHE THE LOCALS: Gov. John Hickenlooper traveled to Las Animas Tuesday to meet with community officials and staffers at the prison he is closing in March. A frustrated worker walked out of the meeting. Pueblo Chieftain.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT AIN’T ALL GLAMOUR GULTCH: Pitkin County voters this fall could be asked to raise their property taxes as much as 19 percent to support social services and senior citizen assistance programs. Aspen Daily News.

COPS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS: Aurora City Council members gave initial support Monday to two plans to alter the city’s controversial police staffing mandate. Aurora Sentinel.

STREAMLINED: The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to extend Clean Water Act protection to thousands of streams and wetlands nationwide, which drew mixed responses in Colorado Tuesday. The Denver Post

AND A FAVORITE TWEET: “@notmikecoffman, Just left a message for the redistricting commission. Told them that whatever happens, they must keep IKEA in the 6th district. #copols”

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WASHINGTON — Republican Reps. Cory Gardner and Doug Lamborn successfully squeaked their amendments through the continuing resolution, a measure to fund the federal government that passed the House of Representatives at 5 a.m. Saturday.

Of more than 400 amendments filed by Democrats and Republicans, most were left on the cutting room floor in the debate about how to cut more than $60 billion.

But Gardner’s amendment, which will strip federal funding to states that are trying to implement health insurance exchanges as part of the new health care law, passed. So did Lamborn’s amendment to defund the annual $430 million allocation to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“The health care bill that passed two years ago I wanted to repeal, I supported the repeal,” Gardner said, inbetween town halls on the eastern plains Monday. “The Senate has refused to take it up and this is just another attempt on stopping the government takeover of health care.”

Lamborn said Monday, “we can either save a program or save the nation.”

“Given the deep financial crisis we face with a record $1.6 trillion annual deficit, we must eliminate all nonessential government spending, including government broadcasting,” he said.

Choosing not to call out Lamborn, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting instead thanked the mostly Democrat House members — including Rep. Diana Degette of Denver — for supporting them.

“We will continue to work with these Representatives and with members of the Senate to educate them about the importance of the federal investment in public media,” said spokeswoman Nicole Mezlo.

It’s unclear what will happen with both these measures. The continuing resolution heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate next week where members will likely add money back in — particularly dollars funding the health care law.

Talk of that has sparked threats on both sides of a government shut down.

The House and Senate are back in Colorado this week for the President’s Day recess.

First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia were in Vail over the weekend skiing with friends. It was only the second time the girls had skied. Obama dined at Restaurant Kelly Liken, according to the Vail Daily, because of Liken’s support of a local program in an elementary school where students grow their own vegetables in a greenhouse.

GOP Senate hopeful Ken Buck will rally with Sen. John Thune from South Dakota Tuesday in attempt to energize the base and compete with his opponent’s star-studded visits from Michelle Obama and former president Bill Clinton.

Thune, made famous for beating Senate leader Tom Daschle in 2004 with the help of Colorado’s Dick Wadhams, will share a stage with Buck at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Clement Park in Littleton.

A couple weeks ago, Mitt Romney came to Colorado and held a fundraiser for Buck, but the two didn’t have any public events.

Buck’s opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, will share a stage with First Lady Michelle Obama Thursday and former President Bill Clinton will come to Colorado next week for Bennet.

First Lady Michelle Obama will campaign in Colorado in October for Michael Bennet. She addressed the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

First Lady Michelle Obama will make a campaign stop for incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet in mid-October on a national swing to battleground states in hopes of helping Democratic candidates.

Administration officials said Tuesday that Mrs. Obama hopes to draw a sharp contrast between Republican and Democrat Senate candidates by peddling a middle class message that the Dems are the ones who care about making college more affordable and boosting the economy.

Today, I received an email (and video) from Michelle Obama directing me to unite for the common good on the Orwellian sounding “Day of Service”.

It will take ordinary citizens working together with a common purpose to get this country back on track. This national day of service is an important first step in our continuing commitment.

What is an “ordinary citizen” anyway? I, for one, made no “commitment” to grow another massive government program in the guise of volunteerism; so I’m not sure who she is talking to? Shouldn’t Michelle Obama be imploring citizens to run from government service — especially, in this time of dramatically irresponsible government — and head to private sector where they do some genuine good for the country by starting businesses, spurring innovation and living without taxpayer-funded rations? Then, those ordinary citizens can partake in the many meaningful charities and volunteer work avilable to them without burdening others. Imagine.

Democrats always seem enchanted by the glory of diversity and the significance of dissent. Yet, all of a sudden Americans are supposed to unify and lockstep for the common purpose? The self-importance of elected officials, and their wives, is staggering.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.